Charlie Kimball to Pilot New IndyCar Entry

Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, has partnered with Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC to create the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team for the 2011 IZOD IndyCar season. The team will sponsor a new entry in the series driven by American racecar driver Charlie Kimball. This partnership makes Kimball one of the first drivers from the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights series to move up the official “Road to Indy” with a full season sponsorship.

Kimball, 25, finished fourth in the 2010 Indy Lights season, capturing five podium (top three) finishes, including four second-place finishes. With this team, he will become the first licensed driver with type 1 diabetes in the history of the Indy Racing League to race at the highest level of the Series.

“We have sponsored Charlie for the past two seasons in the Firestone Indy Lights series and seen his development not only as a race car driver, but also as a role model to thousands of people with diabetes,” said Camille Lee, Vice President of Diabetes Marketing at Novo Nordisk. “We are excited to join Chip and the entire Ganassi organization to ensure Charlie’s success not only on the race track, but also with Novo Nordisk to show that diabetes does not have to get in the way of your dreams.”

The creation of the new team allows Novo Nordisk to continue as Kimball’s primary sponsor, with naming rights to the car, as well as other branding elements. Kimball will also continue to make appearances for Novo Nordisk throughout the country, with the award-winning Race with InsulinTM and other diabetes campaigns. Novo Nordisk has sponsored Kimball since he joined the Indy Racing League in the 2009 season.

“Many don’t realize this, but we have had a relationship with Charlie for a number of years now. I have been keeping close tabs on him and his successes in racing from afar for a while now – whether he was racing in Formula 3 in Europe, or running in the Firestone Indy Lights Series the past few seasons,” said racing legend and team owner Chip Ganassi. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to turn this longstanding relationship into a reality with Charlie and Novo Nordisk.”

Diagnosed with diabetes in 2007, Kimball monitors his blood sugar before, during and after each race, and uses the Novo Nordisk insulin Levemir® (insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection) and NovoLog® (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) and a pre-filled insulin pen device, called FlexPen®, to help manage his diabetes.

“I am honored to join Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing and excited to be moving up to the IZOD IndyCar Series,” said Kimball. “This is a dream come true and I am very proud to work with Novo Nordisk and continue to spread the message that diabetes does not have to slow you down.”

The 2011 IZOD season includes the following race events in 17 cities across North America, and in Canada, Japan and Brazil:

Kimball, who began racing go-karts at age nine, was accepted into Stanford University and chose to defer admission to follow his dream to become a racecar driver. He finished the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season in fourth place. Prior to his diabetes diagnosis in 2007, Kimball shattered the European stereotype that “Americans are not fast” by becoming the first American in 11 years to win a British Formula 3 race. He went on to secure two track records and several F3 victories in both Britain and Europe. Kimball has also raced in the Formula 3 Euroseries and the World Series by Renault.

About Chip Ganassi Racing

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, three in the IZOD IndyCar Series and one Daytona Prototype in the Rolex GRAND-AM Sports Car Series. In 2010, Ganassi’s teams scored victories across the three touring series, including the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500, making him the only team owner in history to win both crown jewels in a single season. His team also won the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship.

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 87 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within hemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone therapy for women. Novo Nordisk’s business is driven by the Triple Bottom Line: a commitment to social responsibility to employees and customers, environmental soundness and economic success. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs more than 30,000 employees in 81 countries, and markets its products in 179 countries. Novo Nordisk’s B shares are listed on the stock exchanges in Copenhagen and London. Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NVO). For more information, visit novonordisk-us.com.

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